It is well known that certain liquids, for example, coffee, milk and juice products, can stain fabrics. When a liquid contacts a fabric a residue is often deposited on the fibers of the fabric. This residue remains after the liquid evaporates from the fabric causing the stain. Clear liquids, such as water, do not typically deposit a residue on fabrics and thus, do not stain the fabric. But certain fabrics such as rayon, silk, acetate and wool, can be sensitive to clear liquids, which when deposited on these "fine" fabrics can cause a ring, or water spot, to form. Water spots often appear as stains, but in fact the individual fibers of the fabric are not stained, rather they are in a localized deformed state causing the material to appear different than the surrounding fabric.
In some cases, especially where a garment has never been exposed to immersion cleaning either with an aqueous or non-aqueous bath, fugitive, unfixed dyes may migrate during spot stain cleaning. The migration of fugitive dyes can result in a "corona" at the outer rim of the water spot, where fugitive dyes collect as the liquid ring expansion stops. Consequently, removal of this corona of fugitive dyes as well as the water spot itself is necessary to obtain a satisfactory appearance for the garment.
Stains can be removed by washing the residue, or foreign material, from the fibers, but removing water spots from fabrics is difficult. The removal of water spots often requires that the fabric fibers themselves be treated. While it would seem apparent that water spots might simply be removed by immersing the entire garment in an aqueous bath to effect uniformity, this may not be appropriate for garments labeled dry-clean only. Such immersion could, in fact, lead to irreversible adverse affects such as shrinking, stretching, or dye loss. Consequently, a technique which does not employ immersion in an aqueous bath to remove water spots is particularly desirable. Therefore, there exists a continuing need for methods, and products, for treating fabric articles to remove water spots therefrom.